Warning Shot
by DixieH
Summary: In the midst of Purgatory. Detective Eames fires her weapon.
1. Chapter 1

**The Warning Shot**

_I don't own these characters._

_This story is set in the midst of Purgatory and is intended to answer the question: "What if Eames had fired her weapon when she came into Testarosa's office?"_

_As a warning, this isn't a dream sequence, but there is a happy ending for most of the characters. I'd be particularly interested in your comments on the plausibility of the plotting. The first couple of chapters are intended to rip your heart out and for you to be in Eames' shoes. A special thank you to Mike Logan who came along about the time I was going to press the delete button and saved this story. I'm still editing the final couple of chapters (There are 5). So I'll post as quickly as I can. - Dix._

**CHAPTER 1**

The bullet leaves her gun at one thousand one hundred fifty feet per second. There is no time now for regrets or second thoughts. The sound of the ignited gunpowder expanding bounces in the small room. The explosion makes her ears ring. The gun kicks up slightly as the bullet leaves the barrel and travels the distance from her hand to his chest.

Most handguns are fired at targets less than 10 yards away. Seventy percent of the bullets that police officers fire miss their intended target. Eames hasn't missed yet.

She stares at him over the gun. Bobby's arm is dropping and he has loosened his hold on the gun in his grip. If she could hear anything, she might hear it strike the floor. He looks annoyed at her, like she said the wrong thing during an interrogation. Then his eyes widen slightly and his left hand flutters in front of his chest. There's an odd shaped hole in his jacket. "Son of a" he says in a hoarse whisper but she doesn't hear.

The officer beside her turns and puts his large hand over her's and wrenches the gun out of her grasp. She follows the action of his hands with her eyes then lifts her gaze to meet his. The cop gives her a hard look that she can't interpret. She looks back at Bobby, but it's too late. He isn't standing any longer. His bulky form is heaped on the plastic sheet on the floor. She takes a step toward him but the cop takes her arm and turns her away. He walks her out of the room, through the club and out into the street. The street to the left and right of the club is clogged with vehicles. The wind cuts through her jacket. She stumbles on rough concrete and the hand around her arm tightens so she doesn't fall.

Captain Danny Ross and two detectives she doesn't recognize meet them on the pavement. "What happened?" He asks. She's dazzled by the lights of the vehicles. They arc in the air and reflect off the windows in the buildings across the street. Ross shifts his gaze from Eames to the uniform.

"She discharged her weapon." He answers. "There's a man down in there." He points to the club with his free hand. Ross nods at Mike Logan standing beside him.

"Show him where my car is." He says. "Put her in there and stay with her," He says. "Nobody gets access without my say so." Ross heads for the club quickly outdistancing Megan Wheeler with long strides. She jogs to catch up.

By the time they get to Ross' car, Eames is trembling so hard she can hardly manoeuvre on her own. She's not responding to verbal instructions. "Get in." She just stands there. "Duck your head." "Sit down" "Move your leg." Nothing penetrates the fog of shock, horror, and fear that runs through her brain. Finally, they manhandle her into the car. When they slam the door, she's sprawled across the back seat trembling and weeping noiselessly.

"Geez." says the detective. "What the hell happened in there?"

The uniformed cop shrugged. "She fired her weapon. Big guy went down. "

"Big guy?"

"Like a mountain."

"Shit." Logan said. "Stay here." He jogged the length of the car, then turned back and said, "Don't let anybody talk to her. I'll be right back."

It took Mike Logan a few minutes, some choice words and couple of carefully placed elbows to get through the club and into the office where the shooting had happened. The room itself was mostly clear of personnel, but there was a crowd of on lookers at the door, some were bar staff, some were patrons and some were cops. Danny Ross was standing on the far side of Testarosa's office talking urgently into his cell phone and Wheeler was on the door. She looked grim when he pierced the crowd.

She turned sideways so he could have a better view. A pair of paramedics was in the room beginning their assessment of a man Mike might have recognized instantly under different circumstances. Their patient was conscious, eyes open and breathing on his own, however he was very agitated, thrashing and moaning. His clothing was bloody. Logan hadn't laid eyes on Bobby Goren in months. He was heavier than Mike remembered and the beard was new. He watched the paramedics open Goren's jacket before turning back to Megan.

"It's Goren." He said, finally deciding.

Megan nodded. "It doesn't look good." She was thinking about a suspended cop moonlighting for a guy like Testarosa. Logan was thinking about Goren's health.

"He's not dead." Logan said. "I'm gonna go tell Eames."

"Captain said not to talk to her."

"She needs to know he isn't dead."

Behind him, the paramedics' heart monitor began to ping in a relentless way. Logan glanced over his shoulder and saw them increase their pace.

"By the time you get back to her, he might be." Wheeler advised.

Mike swallowed hard, turned, and pushed his way back through the vultures.

The uniform watched him cross the road. "Anybody come around?" Mike asked.

"Nope."

"OK take off. I'll handle this." Logan leaned against the car just behind the driver's side rear door. Eames was quiet now. She was sitting up. He couldn't tell whether her eyes were open or closed. He tried not to look at her. Instead, he concentrated on the door and waited to see if the paramedics came out or the coroner went in.

_Thanks for taking the time to read this. - Dix._


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Many factors determine the effect a bullet will have on its target. This includes the size and shape of the projectile, the speed at which it travels and the distance to the target.

The ride back to One PP was quiet. Wheeler drove with a calm efficiency that contrasted the senselessness of the previous hour. Ross sat beside her in the passenger seat, keeping his thoughts to himself. Logan sat in the back beside a stone-faced Eames.

When they had parked underground, Logan took Eames by the elbow and guided her out of the car. On her feet, she shook off his hand and made her way between him and Wheeler. As the elevator cruised past the ninth floor, Ross broke the silence. "Put her in the office that victims services uses. Get her something to drink. I'll bring her union representative and the lawyer they assign when they get here. Don't leave her and do not talk to her. You understand?" He looked at Logan

"Loud and clear, Captain." Mike said.

An hour passed before the Captain appeared in the hall leading two men. Logan was leaning in the doorway and Wheeler was sitting on an armchair inside the room.

"Wheeler." Logan said when he saw his boss. He indicated with a nod that she should come out. Ross led the rep and the lawyer into the carefully furnished room. Eames was perched on an armchair. She was leaning forward with her hair curtaining her face just as she had been the entire previous hour. There was a Styrofoam cup of oily tea on the table at her elbow, but it hadn't been touched.

Logan stood in the doorway and made no secret of listening in as Ross introduced her to the rep and the lawyer. Eames shifted her gaze from the floor to the group. She appeared to be listening, but shock shuts down the path from hearing to understanding.

Ross said. "Detective Eames, I am required to inform you that there is an investigation underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the discharge of your weapon tonight. Until the investigation is complete, you are suspended with pay." He said it formally and without intonation. More gently he continued, "I need your badge, Detective. We got your gun at the scene." When she didn't respond he held out his hand and gestured impatiently toward her badge.

She stood then and pulled her shield off her jacket. She held it out pinched between two fingers.

They eyed one another, and then she sat down again quickly as though the strength had left her. Ross turned for the door and Logan stepped back into the hall. With one hand on the door, Ross turned back to her. "You need anything at all, Detective; I expect to hear from you." He closed the door on them.

"You got something for us to do?" Logan asked him.

Ross shook his head. "No. I'll see you two tomorrow." Ross walked away from the pair towards his office.

"Captain," Wheeler stopped him with a word. "OK if we go to the hospital?"

Ross turned to look at them. "Call me and tell me how he is. I won't get there for hours."

At the elevators, Logan said. "I think I'll take a rain check."

"You don't want to go to the hospital?" Megan asked.

"I got something I wanna take care of. Call me when you find out about Goren?"

Wheeler shrugged her shoulders. The elevator doors slid open. She stepped inside. "Talk to you later."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

More than any other method, guns turn suicide attempts into fatal tragedies.

Mike Logan knew the drill. The union rep would give her the standard "we're here to help speech" and the lawyer would pump her for information, which might substantiate a defence. He also knew that shock creates an incredible self-absorption making it impossible to focus. He wasn't surprised when the whole meeting lasted less than twenty minutes. The rep came out after the first five and the lawyer followed less than fifteen minutes later. He nodded at Logan and left the door ajar. When Eames didn't come out Logan went in.

"You done for the night?" He asked. She looked at him with watery eyes.

"I'll give you a lift home." He took her arm and pulled her standing. "Come on Eames."

She followed him passively into the hall. "You need anything from your desk?" He asked. He took the small tremble of her head as a negative. "Where are your house keys?" She looked at him blankly. "Check your pockets." He directed. She put a hand in each jacket pocket and drew out a key ring. He took it from her and slid it into his jacket. She followed him to the elevator. In the parking garage, he opened the car door and she got in. Her body was working, but her head wasn't. Automatic pilot. Later he knew she'd remember nothing of the ride home.

She didn't talk on the drive and he had nothing to say. He used the seek button to find a radio station broadcasting what he hoped was soothing music. Anytime he glanced at her, she was looking out the side window.

Mike parked in front of her house. When he got to her door, she was fumbling with the seatbelt. Finally, she found the release button and the strap slid back. She got out and stood patiently while he put the key in the front door. He went in first fumbling for a light switch. They stood awkwardly in the entryway for a moment.

She swallowed hard and tried to look him in the eye. "Thank you." she managed.

He saw her expression. "Two things" he said. "I've been where you are right now."

Her expression changed from gratitude to anger. "You killed your partner?" The sarcasm dripped.

He shook his head. "No I killed my career and your partner's not dead."

"Bobby" She said in a whisper. "He's not dead?"

Logan shook his head. "They took him to the hospital. Wheeler's checking on him. She's gonna call. OK?" Eames nodded once to indicate she understood.

"Look Eames, after what I did - He stopped without finishing. "I want your back up gun and" he continued with a lighter tone "and anything else that shoots, - starter pistol, - pea shooter - until you're past this."

"No." She shook her head.

"I want your gun." He repeated.

She shook her head again. "I'm not giving up my back up."

"Yes you are cause you're not getting me out of here until you hand it over." She stared back at him without blinking, and then walked away from him. In the kitchen, she turned on him shaking her head - resigned. She slid out a kitchen chair and put her foot on it. She pulled up her pant leg and unbuckled the small holster. Putting her foot back on the floor she un-holstered the weapon and removed the clip. She handed him the clip then cleared the single cartridge in the gun and handed him the bullet and the gun, one in each hand. Logan pocketed the gun and the ammo.

"You know where the door is." Eames waved a hand in the direction of the front door.

"Yeah, actually the second thing I didn't say yet is that I'm spending the night on your couch."

"No way." She'd said decisively.

"Actually I am. I'm here till you make an appointment with a shrink tomorrow and then we're going to the hospital."

She glared at him for a long time. He didn't flinch or change his mind and she was sure it would be ugly if she tried to toss him out. Finally, she said, "You're a son of a bitch Logan."

"Yeah you're just saying that." He grinned.

She walked away from him then. He watched her go. She went into the next room and slammed the door between them with enough force that he could hear the dishes in the cupboard rattle. He pulled off his jacket, but hadn't managed to hang it over the back of a kitchen chair before the cell phone in the pocket began to ring.

"Logan" he said. The door to Alex's bedroom opened. She stood in the doorway white faced, listening. He nodded in her direction. "Wheeler." He mouthed. "How much longer?" He said into the receiver. "Really?" -- "No not tonight. I'll bring Eames over in the morning." -- "Thanks." He closed the phone and crossed the room to her. "Come sit down before you fall over." He took her arm and sat her in a kitchen chair. He drew out another and sat on it so he could look at her.

"That was Wheeler. Goren's in surgery for another half hour or so. Word is he had on one of those lightweight vests. Bullet pierced the armour, but according to one of the ER nurses it didn't hit anything vital." Logan was grinning as he spoke. It was good news, so he was surprised at her reaction. He'd hardly stopped talking when she started to cry. "Geez Eames." He dropped an arm across her shoulder and pulled her sideways cradling her against his chest. "I forgot you were a girl."

When the tears subsided, she sat up with a jerk and ran a hand across her crumpled face. "Thanks Mike." She said in a whisper.

"No charge." He gave her a small smile.

"There's a spare bed." She said. "Top of the stairs." She pointed with a wave of her hand. "Bath's down the hall." She got up then and went back into the bedroom closing the door between them.

_Thanks for reading - a couple more chapters to go. - Dix._


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Some gunshot wounds are successfully managed non-operatively, while others require surgical repair. Regardless of the management plan, antibiotics are a necessity because bullets bring with them a host of bacteria.

Eames kept pace with Logan until they reached the hospital lobby but she hung back as he asked for directions to Goren's room. "Come on." he said, but she didn't move. Logan was in a hurry. It'd taken Eames an extraordinary length of time to shower, dress and make a single phone call. He was anxious. Goren's condition after surgery, according to Wheeler's morning phone call, wasn't all it could be. Logan didn't want to arrive too late.

"I need the washroom," she said.

"Make it quick." He said.

She crossed the lobby at a run, and barely made it to a stall when the cup of coffee she'd consumed at home began to roll to the surface. It came up hot and vile. She rinsed her mouth with tap water and wiped her pale face at the sink patting it dry with paper towel.

Conscious of the taste in her mouth she headed for the gift shop. Mike crossed the lobby to follow her. She snatched up the first pack of gum she found and paid for it. Then she made for the cooler to gaze at the floral arrangements. When nothing caught her eye, she turned to the card rack. It was then that Mike caught on to the stalling tactics. He stood behind her. "There isn't a card for this kind of thing," he said. "Let's go." She sighed deeply then turned and followed him.

In the elevator, she popped a piece of gum into her mouth and offered the package to Logan. He took it from her hand brushing her icy fingers as he did. When they reached the floor and stepped out of the elevator, she touched his arm. He stopped and looked at her. "I can't do this." She said quietly. "I put a bullet in him."

"Don't worry about it." He saw her face and guessed at the guilt and remorse. "Come on." He said.

He pushed open the swinging door to the ward, went through and held it open for her. To his left was a waiting area. There were two uniformed officers in it with a guy in a suit. He nodded to Logan but didn't stop talking. When he saw Eames however, the conversation ceased and they all watched her with curious eyes. Further, down the hall at the nursing station, Captain Ross was talking to a woman in a white coat. Logan paused until they finished. Ross walked over. "Wheeler told me you were coming." He said.

"She needs to see him." Logan nodded at Eames who stood a few steps further away.

Ross nodded his agreement. "I need to speak to you before you do. There's a room around the corner." It was a small room with a desk and a chair. Ross waved them both in ahead of him and pulled the door closed behind him.

"I've been authorized by the Chief of D's to tell you that Detective Goren has been undercover in Testarosa's organization for the last few weeks."

"Undercover?" Eames looked from Ross to Logan. "He never said anything. "

"It was sensitive, need to know. Goren was told to keep it quiet." Ross replied.

"I'm his partner. I should have backed him up." She stepped backwards leaning heavily against the little metal desk. Then her eyes narrowed and she glared at Ross "I thought he was dirty when I came through the door into Testarosa's office. I could have killed him." Her voice was high and hard.

"Detective, the decision was made above my pay grade and yours - - - and his." He added as an after thought. She shook her head. Logan for once was silent.

"He's been asking for you. I'll go kick Baker out of the chair so you can go in." Ross yanked open the office door. Then he turned. "Due to the nature of his assignment, Detective Goren wasn't wearing our standard issue vest. It would have been difficult to get past Testarosa and Stoat. He used an old vest, - lightweight less obvious. Unfortunately, the vest failed and the bullet pierced the armour. The vest did slow it down and deflected it. The doctor's says the bullet was successfully removed." When the hard unhappy look on her face didn't shift, Ross tried again. "That's good news for you, Detective Eames."

She scowled. "That's good news for Detective Goren." She turned her back on him crossing her arms to hold back the nausea and emotion.

"Detective Eames," She swivelled slowly to meet his gaze. "I'm telling you straight. I don't trust your judgement. You let Goren wander into the mess that put him on suspension in the first place. If you get your shield back, I'm transferring you out of Major Case. I don't need this kind of grief." He turned without waiting for a response and left the room.

"That guy is such an asshole." Logan said none too quietly after Ross left.

Eames raised a single eyebrow. "Sounds like he won't be my problem much longer."

Eames and Logan met Detective Baker in the hallway. He nodded a greeting. Logan stopped him with an outstretched hand. "How is he?"

Baker looked from Logan to Eames. "He's not very talkative when he's awake and he's not awake very much." Logan nodded his thanks and Baker kept on moving.

They stood outside Goren's room for a long moment. Eames was trembling and pale.

"He wants to see you. It's gonna be fine."

She glanced up at him and nodded her understanding. "I won't be long."

"Take as much time as you need."

"Thanks Mike. I owe you."

"Big steak once you're back on the job will do." He gave her a broad grin as encouragement.

She managed a small frozen smile. Then gave the wide door a push and went into Goren's room.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Terminal ballistics is the field of study, which focuses on the interaction between the projectile and the target.

Goren's hospital room was small, and bleak. It was unremarkable except it lacked oxygen. Eames found she was having difficulty breathing. Propelled forward by will alone, Alex took one-step after another until she was standing beside the only bed in the room.

After all her stalling, it was no small relief to find Bobby Goren asleep. His eyes were closed to her presence, but his chest rose and fell with a reassuring regularity. She watched him breathe and tried to match him breath for breath. The slow even pace calmed her frayed nerves. He was frighteningly pale and still under the white wash of hospital linens. He was a tempest at his best. The knowledge that her bullet had rendered him mute and still, brought tears back to her eyes. She stood there staring down at him and wept silently. The tears ran unbidden and unchecked down her face until she was spent. She didn't know how long she stood, but finally sitting seemed better and so she edged into the armchair beside the bed.

She was folded into the chair dozing, when he woke.

"Eames" he said and smiled at the sight of her. Tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them back, sat up in the chair, and put her feet on the floor.

"You look tired." He said gently

"You don't look so great either." Her voice shook and the tears threatened again.

"Feeling no pain." He said with an incline of his head toward the IV line dripping into his arm.

"I'm sorry Bobby", she said.

"I should have dropped the gun." He said. "I was trying to put on a good show for Testarosa. I didn't want to blow my cover." She was biting her lip and looking around the room in an effort to gain control of her emotions.

"I didn't know." She said. "I didn't know you were on the job." She stared at the tiled floor at her feet. "I thought you were like Stoat."

"They wouldn't let me tell you." He said carefully.

"Big mistake" she said.

"Yeah."

"Bobby, I'm so sorry." Tears filled her eyes and she inhaled noisily and looked down.

"I'm ok Alex."

"Right" she said. "In hospital, in pain." She shook her head.

"I'm gonna be ok. I'm getting my shield back." He gave her a small smile. "You can buy me lunch when I get back to work."

The look on her face said all she thought.

"No," he said. "I told the Captain if he transferred you, he'd have to move me too. I won't stay at Major Case without you."

"Bobby, he's questioning my judgement. If they don't lay charges, it's just a matter of time until they find something else to hang on me. I might resign."

"Eames." He began but she interrupted him with a way of her hand.

"Look none of it's settled yet. I'm just grateful that you're going to be ok." She stood awkwardly beside the chair.

"Eames" he said more loudly than he needed to in the small room. "Don't leave."

"You need your rest." She said.

"I stayed with you." It was a barely audible plea.

A dark shadow passed over her features. "After I was kidnapped."

He nodded. "You didn't cause that Bobby. That wasn't your fault." She swallowed. "I looked over my gun and made - and made the decision to pull the trigger."

"In a split second," He said coming quickly to her defence. "With the wrong information. You were protecting your informant and yourself." She looked down at him and for a moment, his faith wavered. "Right?" he asked.

She heard the question. It took her a moment to answer. "Did I want you dead? Is that what you're asking? No. "She said. "Never. I." He waited for her to finish. She inhaled and let the breath out slowly to calm herself. "I was angry. I thought I'd missed - - I couldn't believe." She paused and her eyes fluttered closed. Stress and lack of sleep were muddying her thoughts. " I'd worked with you all this time," She said, eyes still closed. "I trusted you to have my back. I thought maybe you really were dirty and some how I'd missed it." She opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"You didn't trust your own judgement." He said. She nodded her agreement. "You didn't trust me." She nodded again. "That makes sense," He said. "Sit down. - Please."

She settled back on the chair. They were quiet together for a few moments. Then he yawned, carefully covering his mouth with his hand.

"What a mess," she said.

"All because I kept you in the dark."

"Yeah, you leave me out of the loop again - -." She stopped unable to finish because the future was uncertain.

"I know, I know." Bobby said. "This'll look like a warning shot." He gave her a broad smile.

She grinned and reached for his hand. He squeezed it gently and yawned again.

"Don't go for a while ok?" His eyes were fluttering closed.

"OK." she said.

"And come back later if you do go?"

"Ok" she said.


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

Sometimes bullets ricochet and hit unintended targets.

The story made headlines everyday for most of two weeks. The press wanted to know how a cop could go from suspended without pay to an undercover assignment. They wanted to know who authorized the assignment and why Detective Goren didn't have any back up. They also wanted to know if Detective Eames had a personal vendetta against her partner. They didn't get many satisfactory answers but it didn't stop them from asking the questions.

The Mayor got calls

The Police Commissioner got calls

The Chief of Detectives got calls.

It was all the Chief could do not to feed Eames to the reporter. He knew the right word whispered in the right ear could take her down in a dramatic way. However, Johnny Eames still had connections and the Chief knew to pull the pin on _his_ daughter would dislodge a load of shit. If it wasn't Eames, it had to be someone else.

With the Mayor, the Commissioner and the press on his call sheet, the chief did the only thing he could do. He leaked a single email he'd received from Captain Danny Ross regarding the assignment. It caused a landslide of public opinion and under the circumstances; he couldn't really protect Ross from the backlash.

It took a couple of days before Ross understood that the chief had alliances to protect. He resigned the next morning.

Major Case got a new captain.

Detective Alexandra Eames got her shield and guns back.

Detective Robert Goren got a BLT on whole wheat.

And

Detective Mike Logan got a 12 oz prime cut sirloin steak medium rare.

­­­­­­­­­--

Occasionally in the months and years that followed, someone would ask Eames if it was true that she'd shot her partner. She'd pause for a moment and tilt her head to one side before answering. "It was a warning shot." She'd say with a straight face. "He's the only person who ever really pissed me off and lived to tell about it."

Goren heard the question and the answer once. It caught him off guard. He laughed out loud, deeply amused. Eames caught his eye and gave him the sweetest smile.

Fin

_This story was loads of fun to write, especially once Mike Logan put in an appearance. Thanks for reading along and for your positive feedback. I'd love to know if the ending was sufficiently satisfying. Thanks. - Dix._


End file.
